SINGAPORE – The Singapore water polo teams’ mission will be to “learn and inspire” as they look forward to facing the world powers in the game at the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships in home waters.

Singapore men’s captain Lee Kai Yang said: “Everyone starts at 0-0, so we will still go into every match with the intention to win, no matter how slim that probability is.”

“We relish the challenge to play against these high-level teams. Win or lose, there will be lessons to take away from these matches,” the sports business consultant with Deloitte told The Straits Times at the launch of the first community roadshow for the world meet at ION Orchard on May 9.

“Having played at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, I know the atmosphere will be incomparable to playing elsewhere as there will be family, friends and other Singaporeans cheering for us.

“It’s not just about us, we also hope a kid in the stands seeing water polo for the first time can get inspired to play and hopefully one day don national colours.”

The men’s team, who will make their world championship debut, are drawn into Group C alongside 2024 Olympic bronze medallists United States, as well as Brazil and Canada.

Meanwhile, the Singapore women’s team, who made their world meet bow at Doha 2024, will meet Paris silver medallists Australia, Italy and New Zealand in Group A.

In preparation for the formidable challenges, the Singaporeans have ramped up their training intensity – they train six days a week, with the men’s team increasing the number of sessions from eight to 14, while the women’s team have upped theirs from eight to 11.

They also played in the Feb 25-March 2 Asian Water Polo Championships in which the men’s team finished sixth and the women’s team finished fourth.

During their training sessions, the men had been trying out new tactics and working on their chemistry and synergy, said player Dominic Chan, a third-year National University of Singapore biomedical engineering undergraduate.

“We will continue to work on improving our game in upcoming training camps in Japan, Australia and China.”

For the women’s players, they are eager to test their mettle against teams with different styles during their training trips to Portugal, Greece and Serbia.

Captain Abielle Yeo, who is training full-time, added: “We were well-challenged in our debut (at the world championships in 2024), so this time we are bringing with us the experience we have about the physicality and speed of the game that we witnessed in Doha.”

With no other South-east Asian teams involved in the world championships, Singapore are hoping the experience of playing against the world’s best will give them a leg up during the Dec 7-19 SEA Games. The men’s team are aiming to retain the gold while the women’s side will hope to leapfrog hosts and defending champions Thailand.

Yeo said: “We will definitely be using this as one of our milestone checks and as a stepping stone to improve our game leading into the SEA Games in December.”

During the roadshow, the public will be able to experience what it is like to stand on a 27-metre diving platform via virtual reality, and test their speed and reflexes at the water polo reaction wall.

Eight other malls will host similar roadshows to offer opportunities to experience the aquatic sports.

Additionally, eight new partners – ION Orchard, CapitaLand, Singapore Airlines, Fullerton Health, Jewel Changi Airport, Kin Productions, Sistic and Westpoint Transit – were also announced as sponsors, taking the total value of deals for the event to more than $16 million.

Mark Chay, co-chair of the organising committee, said: “These roadshows bring the excitement and experience of the World Aquatics Championships directly to the community through interactive stations that allow us to try out some variation of the sports featured at the championships.

“It is also a good chance for us to familiarise ourselves with these sports before we watch the world’s best aquatics athletes execute their craft in Singapore.

“We are also grateful for the tremendous support from our new partners. Hosting an event as prestigious as the World Aquatics Championships is an endeavour that requires cooperation from all areas of the community and we are heartened to have received so much support from the various stakeholders.”

• David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A dynamic mix of athletes, including three Olympians, comprise the 30-player long-list roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team as it prepares for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international tournament.

Former Minnesota Golden Gopher Stephanie Samedy was one of the 30 players to make the roster. The Clermont, Fla., native earned four AVCA First Team All-America honors during her career (2017-21) and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021. Samedy helped the Gophers win a Big Ten title while making three Sweet 16’s, a Final Four and an Elite Eight during her tenure in Dinkytown.

The VNL brings together the world’s top 18 teams for three action-packed weeks of preliminary play, with each team competing in four matches per week. Only the top eight teams will earn a spot in the Final Round, where a VNL title will be on the line.

From the long list, U.S. coaches will select 14 athletes to compete at each of the three preliminary round stops: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 4-8), Belgrade, Serbia (June 18-22), and a highly anticipated home appearance in Arlington, Texas (July 9-13). The Final Round is set for July 23-27 in Łódź, Poland.

“We’ve had an incredible group of athletes in the gym so far — they’re bringing great energy, a strong work ethic, and a real commitment to getting better every day,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Erik Sullivan said. “This roster brings together a lot of exciting skill sets, and it’s been fun to see how quickly they’re connecting and pushing each other. Our more experienced athletes have done a great job setting the tone and sharing their experience, which has been huge for our younger athletes. As we head into VNL, I’m looking forward to seeing this group grow and take on the challenge of international competition together.”

Three players return from the 2024 team that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: setter Jordyn Poulter, who also won gold with the team in 2020; outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Dana Rettke.

Several athletes have competed for the senior U.S. National Team in NORCECA events, including libero Lexi Rodriguez, opposites Olivia Babcock, Taylor Mims and Stephanie Samedy, setter Ella Powell, outside hitters Logan Eggleston and Sarah Franklin, and middle blockers Serena Gray, Amber Igiede, Molly McCage and Tia Jimerson.

Six athletes have yet to compete for the senior U.S. National Team: setters Rachel Fairbanks and Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, middle blocker Anna Dodson, outside hitter McKenzie Adams, opposite Logan Lednicky and libero Lauren Briseño.

Sullivan, who is in his first year coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team, is assisted by Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Brandon Taliaferro and Mike Wall.

The U.S. Women are the reigning Olympic silver medalists and ranked No. 3 in the world. They have won the VNL three times (2018, ’19, ’21) since its inception in 2018. In 2024, they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Olympic champion Italy.

U.S. Women’s Preliminary Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)

2 Jordyn Poulter (S, 6-2, Aurora, Colo., Univ. of Illinois, Rocky Mountain)

3 Avery Skinner (OH, 6-1, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky, Lone Star)

5 Ali Frantti (OH, 6-1, Spring Grove, Ill., Penn State, Great Lakes)

6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)

7 Lexi Rodriguez (L, 5-5, Sterling, Ill., Univ. of Nebraska Great Lakes)

8 Brionne Butler (MB, 6-4, Kendleton, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)

9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)

11 Taylor Mims (Opp, 6-3, Billings, Mont., Washington State, Evergreen)

10 Jenna Gray (S, 6-1, Shawnee, Kan., Stanford Univ., Heart of America)

13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Delta)

14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)

15 Rachel Fairbanks (S, 6-0, Tustin, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

16 Dana Rettke (MB, 6-8, Riverside, Ill., Univ. of Wisconsin, Great Lakes)

17 Zoe Jarvis  (previously Fleck)(L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)

18 Asjia O’Neal (MB, 6-3, Southlake, Texas, Univ. of Texas, North Texas)

19 Khalia Lanier (OH, 6-2, Scottsdale, Ariz., Univ. of Southern California, Arizona)

20 Danielle Cuttino (Opp, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind., Purdue, Hoosier)

21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)

22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)

23 Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor, Lone Star)

24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

25 Tia Jimerson (MB, 6-3, Sugar Hill, Ga., Ohio University, Southern)

27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)

28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)

29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)

30 McKenzie Adams (OH, Schertz, Texas, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, Lone Star)

32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)

33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)

34 Stephanie Samedy (Opp, 6-2, Clermont, Fla., Univ. of Minnesota, Florida)

43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Head Coach:  Erik Sullivan

Assistant Coach: Mike Wall

Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro

Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park

Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League

Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV.

(All times PDT)

Week 1:  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

June 4 at 10 a.m. vs. Italy

June 5 at 5 p.m. vs. Brazil

June 6 at 5 p.m. vs. Czechia

June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea

Week 2: Belgrade, Serbia

June 18 at 11 a.m. vs. Serbia

June 19 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Poland

June 21 at 7:30 a.m. vs. Netherlands

June 22 at 7:30 a.m. vs. France

Week 3: Arlington, Texas

July 9 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Thailand

July 10 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Dominican Republic vs. USA

July 12 at 5:30 p.m. vs. Canada vs. USA

July 13 at 5 p.m. vs. China

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION I

QUARTERFINALS

#1 Taft d. #8 Cleveland, 25-14, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14

#5 Marquez d. #4 South East, 14-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 19-17

#3 Marshall d. #6 Kennedy, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23

#2 Carson d. #7 Van Nuys, 25-18, 26-28, 20-25, 25-18, 19-17

DIVISION II

SECOND ROUND

#1 VAAS d. #17 LACES, 25-7, 25-13, 25-23

#8 Roosevelt d. #9 North Hollywood, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-17

#5 Poly d. #12 Panorama, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18

#4 Fairfax d. #13 Reseda, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20

#3 Banning d. #14 San Pedro, 3-1

#6 Sylmar d. #11 Diego Rivera, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20

#10 Legacy d. #7 Vaughn, 30-28, 13-25, 24-26, 25-20, 19-17

#2 Mendez d. #18 Bravo, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13

DIVISION III

SECOND ROUND

#1 East Valley d. #16 Animo Robinson, 25-18, 25-18, 25-18

#8 Foshay d. #9 Central City Value, 3-0

#5 Downtown Magnets d. #12 Manual Arts, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19

#4 SOCES d. #20 King/Drew, 3-0

#19 San Fernando d. #3 Larchmont Charter, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 15-8

#6 Angelou d. #11 Chavez, 23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20, 15-13

#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Orthopaedic, 3-1

#2 Gardena d. #15 Animo Bunche, 25-21, 25-11, 24-26, 25-21

DIVISION IV

SECOND ROUND

#1 Garfield d. #17 Sotomayor, 25-18, 23-25, 25-15, 25-14

#8 Hamilton d. #9 Rise Kohyang, 25-11, 15-25, 16-25, 25-20, 15-5

#5 Animo Venice d. #12 LA Leadership, 25-9, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18

#20 Belmont d. #4 Burton, 22-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18, 15-12

#3 Sun Valley Magnet d. #19 Animo Watts, 25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18

#11 University Prep Value d. #6 Magnolia Science Academy, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18

#10 Port of LA d. #7 Contreras, 25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 25-15

#2 Huntington Park d. #15 West Adams, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23

DIVISION V

SECOND ROUND

#1 Wilson d. #17 USC-MAE, 25-9, 25-15, 25-9

#9 Magnolia Science Academy d. #8 Bert Corona, 25-17, 25-20, 25-21

#12 Arleta d. #5 Animo Brown, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17

#4 Animo South LA d. #13 Community Charter, 25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 27-25

#3 Harbor Teacher d. #14 New West Charter, 25-18, 25-17, 25-22

#6 New Designs University Park d. #11 University Pathways Medical, 25-0, 25-6, 25-14

#10 Washington at #7 University Pathways Public Service Academy

#2 Dorsey d. #15 Academia Avance, 25-14, 25-18, 25-10

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION II

#8 Roosevelt at #1 VAAS

#5 Poly at #4 Fairfax

#6 Sylmar at #3 Banning

#10 Mendez at #2 Mendez

DIVISION III

#8 Foshay at #1 East Valley

#5 Downtown Magnets at #4 SOCES

#19 San Fernando at #6 Angelou

#7 Maywood CES at #2 Gardena

DIVISION IV

#8 Hamilton at #1 Garfield

#20 Belmont at #5 Animo Venice

#11 University Prep Value at #3 Sun Valley Magnet

#10 Port of LA at #2 Huntington Park

DIVISION V

#9 Magnolia Science Academy Reseda at #1 Wilson

#12 Arleta at #4 Animo South LA

#6 New Designs University Park at #3 Harbor Teacher

#7 University Pathways Public Services/#10 Washington at #2 Dorsey

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

OPEN DIVISION

#4 Granada Hills at #1 Venice

#3 El Camino Real at #2 Chatsworth

DIVISION I

#5 Marquez at #1 Taft

#3 Marshall at #2 Carson

Note: Semifinals in Division II-V, May 14 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 16-17 (sites and times TBD).

When it comes to water polo championships, California is unrivaled. The 2025 NCAA women’s water polo tournament will give eight programs a shot at a title this week. 

Historically, only three schools have won the tournament — Stanford, UCLA and USC. Unsurprisingly, all three are back in the running this year. The Cardinal snagged the No. 1 seed, with the Bruins and Trojans in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. 

Rounding out the rest of the bracket are California, Hawaii, Wagner, LMU and Harvard. The tournament will be a single-elimination format, with competition taking place over three days this weekend.

Who will become 2025 champions?

Here’s everything you need to know about the NCAA women’s water polo championship, including TV channel and streaming options for the annual tournament.

NCAA women’s water polo bracket 2025

The full seeding, bracket and team records for the 2025 NCAA women’s water polo tournament are below.

NCAA women’s water polo tournament schedule 2025

The 2025 NCAA women’s water polo tournament will start on Friday, May 9, and end on Sunday, May 11. All games will be played at the Indiana University Natatorium in Bloomington, Indiana. 

Thursday, May 8: Quarterfinals

Friday, May 9: Semifinals

Saturday, May 10: Championship

NCAA women’s water polo tournament TV channel, live streams

• TV channel: NCAA.com, ESPNU
• Live stream: Fubo

The first two rounds of the NCAA women’s water polo tournament will air on NCAA.com. The championship will air on ESPNU.

Fans can also stream the final matchup on Fubo, which is currently offering a free trial.

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)